The Better2Know Blog

A pregnant woman with a Syphilis infection can pass the infection unknowingly to her unborn baby or to her newborn during birth. When a baby is born with the infection already present, this condition is known as Congenital Syphilis. 

Congenital Syphilis is rare in the UK, but Syphilis is on the rise and a recent Public Health England report (1) indicated a 33% rise in Syphilis cases between 2013 and 2014, showing the ‘largest proportional increase’ of any STI. Like many other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) Syphilis may not always have symptoms in women or in men and may be spread unknowingly.  Syphilis can be life threatening if transferred to a baby during pregnancy or birth. Babies born with Congenital Syphilis can endure a range of serious symptoms including failure to gain weight, fever, skin rashes and facial deformities such as no bridge to the nose (‘Saddle nose’). Sometimes Congenital Syphilis infection is not apparent until later in the child’s development and can cause blindness, eye problems, deafness or hearing problems to develop, as well as joint swelling, bone pain, abnormally shaped teeth (‘Hutchinson teeth’) and other symptoms(2).

Sexual health services may seem to be aimed at men or women only, but it is equally important to maintain good sexual health if you are transgender.  The BBC recently reported that the UK is a “long way from transgender equality” and the Minister for Women and Equalities said she was “determined to tackle discrimination wherever it existed.” There has been little research into the sexual health issues that transgender people face in the UK, but one report from 2014 identified issues in accessing healthcare, including problems created by GPs’ recording of gender and patients being “either never invited or repeatedly invited for inappropriate tests.” The same report also indicated a “persistent stigma and discrimination that increases [the] risk for HIV infection”.

Recently, there have been many news reports in the UK suggesting that Gonorrhoea infection may be becoming resistant to medication. Gonorrhoea is an infection affecting men and women and can have serious consequences if untreated, causing pain, infertility and other symptoms. It can also be transferred from mother to baby, so it is very important to be aware of the infection and how to reduce your risks of catching or spreading it.

‘Think About Sex Day’ on February 14th has been initiated by the Sexual Advice Association with the aim of encouraging everyone to think about physical and psychological issues surrounding sexual activity. One aspect of sexual health that needs careful consideration is the transmission of infection, especially as there are in excess of one million sexually transmitted infections (STIs) acquired throughout the world every day. (Source: World Health Organisation)

Health checks such as blood pressure, weight or cholesterol have become a regular part of the health routine for many, but sexual health testing is often overlooked. It is very important to maintain good sexual health and, as many Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) do not have symptoms, regular testing is the most reliable way to ensure that your sexual health status is good.

January 24th-30th 2016 is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (CCPW). The charity Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust have initiated CCPW with the aim of raising awareness UK-wide of cervical cancer and ways to reduce the risk of developing it. The Trust are encouraging awareness-raising events such as sponsored walks and afternoon teas as well as their growing social media campaign #SmearforSmear to encourage others to find out about preventing cervical cancer and HPV.

Better2Know are making a donation to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust for every Smear Test and HPV Test we provide during Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.

STI Awareness Day falls on January 14th each year, two weeks after New Year parties, events and get-togethers may have led to new relationships, unplanned intimacy or unprotected sexual contact.

Two weeks is a very relevant period of time as it is fourteen days after sexual contact that the most accurate test results can be obtained for Chlamydia, one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

A recent recruit to our Bookings Team has noticed how many couples are booking screens and tests when they decide to take their new relationship to a committed, monogamous level and choose to dispense with using condoms. Thanks to education and the media people now seem more aware than ever that when you sleep with a new partner you are also, in some way, sleeping with their previous partners (and their previous partners).  The responsible thing to do is to get yourselves checked out before you have unprotected sex. Some people may find the initial conversation difficult, possibly finding sexual health an awkward subject to broach, and they may worry that raising the topic is in some way a slur on their partner’s previous sexual history. Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact several common Sexually Transmitted Infections are what is known as asymptomatic which means you may have an STI but have never noticed any symptoms and therefore you could unknowingly infect a new partner.

Although sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are more common amongst 16 to 24 year olds, there has been a rise in diagnoses amongst the older generation. Many couples over 50 are still sexually active and due to divorce or bereavement those over 50 may also find themselves single and dating again.

For many MSM, Chemsex is not just for Christmas, more people are now taking drugs to heighten their sexual pleasure.  Three times as many gay and bisexual men in London inject drugs than in England as a whole.  The research (from the London School of Medicine and Tropical Hygiene) also found that four times as many use crystal meth in the capital than across the rest of the country. Whilst so-called chemsex is not confined to the gay and bisexual population its growing popularity is seen by researchers to be more widespread in the gay community.

World Aids Day has been an annual event since 1988 and provides an opportunity for people worldwide to recognise and support those living with HIV and AIDS. Every year on 1st December the day is marked all over the world by the wearing of a red ribbon which, since 1991, has become the internationally recognised symbol of awareness of HIV and AIDS and a symbol of compassion.

American actor Charlie Sheen, star of hit US TV series ‘Two and a Half Men‘, recently spoke to the media about his diagnosis of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and how he has endeavoured to keep his diagnosis out of the news. Sheen claims to have paid out over $10million (around £6.5m) to avoid the information about his health being exposed since his diagnosis four years ago, evidence of the stigma that, for some, remains attached to HIV.

Gardnerella is very common infection which can be transmitted sexually.  It is a naturally occurring bacteria in women.  When a colony gets out of control, it can cause irritation, discomfort, pain when urinating, discharge, unpleasant smells.  It can also be passed on to a male or female partner.  There are no recorded instances of gardnerella being passed on by a man to a sexual partner.

Better2Know is continually looking for new STI testing methods; to make sure that we remain the leader in sexual health testing across the world.  There are lots of instant tests on the market, some are better than others.  We have got the best tests for six STIs for you.  

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection which can live in the urethra, throat (for those giving oral sex), rectum (for those receiving anal sex) and vagina (in women).  It is highly contagious and easily spread during sex.  It is possible to have chlamydia in more than one location.  So if you had an infection in your throat, your urine sample could be negative if you did not have an infection in the urethra.  However, the same one dose of medication will clear all the infections.

There are a lot of myths and outdated facts about STIs. You may hear and read about these rumours in life, bars, dancefloors and the internet, so let’s go through the most common ones we hear at Better2Know HQ:

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a drug which if taken regularly can help to prevent an HIV-negative person acquiring HIV if they have exposure to the virus.  A recent trial in 13 sexual health clinics in the UK showed that the drug was very effective, and has cut new infections in high risk gay men by 86%.

Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden has revealed that he has stage three tongue cancer which he claims he got from HPV.  He is following in the footsteps of Michael Douglas who said he got his cancer from oral sex.

It has been widely reported this week that gonorrhoea resistant to antibiotics has been found in a few cases in the North of England. As we have blogged about in the past, gonorrhoea being resistant to antibiotics is not new. There have been several cases in Japan, the Far East and increasingly in the US, so it was just a matter of time before case was found at home.

Better2Know has blogged before about the emerging resistance of gonorrhoea to antibiotics. So far, these cases are no in the UK in huge numbers, but as with any infection that is easily passed on to a new person, in our global world, it will come to the UK soon. Researchers are working to find new antibiotics to meet the needs of the incurable bugs including gonorrhoea.

A recent survey by the charity ovarian cancer action has found that young women prefer to search google than to go to their doctor for a sexual health issue.

A review of papers and studies has recently been conducted by Dr Monica Desai, HIV & STI Department, Public Health England, to explore the potential benefits of active recall programs to increase rates of HIV and STI testing. This means proactively contacting patients to advise them to come back for regular STI testing.

A lot has been written about Chlamydia, the fact that it is one of the leading sexually transmitted infections and that if it is left undiagnosed and untreated, can lead to fertility problems or worse, in both man and women. But did you know that there are several other types of Chlamydia bacteria out there?

Chlamydia is one of the most common Sexually Transmitted Infections in the UK and indeed around the world. It is easy to transmit and easy to catch, but some individuals seem to catch it more often than others. Researchers have asked the question why this might be, and have come up with an interesting hypothesis.

We have two main ways of booking your STI Test at Better2Know.  Our friendly Patient Services Team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  They can help answer your questions, book your appointment and help you to get your results when they are ready.  The team are highly trained and knowledgeable about Sexual Health and STIs.  The same team will book you on-line booking request if you choose to Book Online.The Patient Services Team can help you choose the right STI test for you from our different range of services.

PEP, or Post Exposure Prophylaxis is the name given to a course of medication, which has been shown to reduce the rate of infection with the HIV virus following exposure. HIV, or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus is the cause of AIDS. If HIV is left untreated, it will usually lead to death. Being able to prevent any HIV infection from becoming established in the body is therefore of tremendous value to both the individual concerned, and to the health care organisations which care for people.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is bacteria responsible for a common sexually transmitted infection. Cases of Gonorrhoea infection have been on the rise over the past several years. Since 2004, cases of Gonorrhoea have increased by over 42% and cases of infection continue to rise from 25,000 in 2012 to over 29,000 cases diagnosed in 2013, a 15% increase. Gonorrhoea is of particular concern due to the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains of this bacteria. This means that there are now types of the Gonorrheoa bacteria that cannot be treated and cured using the normal antibiotics. Fortunately, there are still some drugs which can be used to cure this infection but it is getting increasingly difficult to do so.

Three school boys in London have come up with an idea that will see condoms change colours if they come into contact with an STI.  This is a great idea, although still to be tested to see if it could actually work.

Better2Know has instant STI tests available across the UK. The tests give you your STI Test results in just 20 minutes for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

Next month we celebrate the first anniversary of our hugely popular Everywhere service.  Instead of travelling to a clinic, our nurse will come2you at  your home, place or work, hotel or anywhere where your samples can be taken.  We need a private room,  a loo (if we need a urine sample), and washing facilities. Our nurses are plain clothed and very discreet.

Its official! If you live in an urban area the chances of catching an STI are higher than if you live in the country. And if you live in a city, or a big city at that, then your chances of infection are greater still.